Comptroller Peter Franchot announced that more than 13,240 Marylanders from every corner of the state signed the “Let Summer Be Summer,” petition, far exceeding the 10,000 signature goal. The grassroots, citizen-led initiative to start public schools after Labor Day kicked off in August 2014 to give families more time together, small businesses an economic boost and teachers a much needed break. The petition was presented to members of the Maryland General Assembly at the beginning of the 2015 legislative session.

The “Let Summer Be Summer” campaign resulted from a governor’s task force which recommended in May 2014 that Maryland public schools delay opening until after Labor Day, while continuing to end the school year in early to mid-June. The state task force, which met for nearly a year to consider the issue, voted 11 to 4 in favor of a later start date statewide.

In August 2013, Comptroller Franchot released an economic development impact report on a post-Labor Day start for public schools. Completed by the Bureau of Revenue Estimates, the report found that a delayed school start in Maryland would result in an additional $74.3 million in direct economic activity, including $3.7 million in new wages and a separate $7.7 million in state and local revenue.

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